Joey Barton: I think I’m the best midfielder in England.

Posted on April 7th, 2011 | 20 Comments |

Barton: “Honestly, I think I’m the best.”
Barton: “Honestly, I think I’m the best.”
Newcastle United’s less than shy, retiring, midfield dynamo, Joey Barton, has being giving an interview to French magazine, “So Foot”, and in his customary way, has been giving it “both barrels” on a number of issues including why England will never win the next fifty world cups, how Gareth Barry gets on because he’s a “Teacher’s pet” with a very good agent, why he thinks he modestly judges himself to be currently the best midfielder in England and more.

Speaking on why he thinks he is the best English midfielder in the Premiership, he began:

“Honestly, I think I’m the best [English midfielder], Luka Modric and Samir Nasri are very good, but in terms of English players… well, Jack Wilshere isn’t bad, but Frank Lampard’s on the way down and Steven Gerrard’s been injured a lot.

“I’m English and I love playing for my country. Maybe the people at the top have a problem with me – I don’t know – but the trouble I had was four years ago. They should be able to forgive me, shouldn’t they?”

Barton then moved on, turning his ire on to Manchester and England midfielder, Gareth Barry. He started on Barry’s performances with England in the last World Cup in South Africa, asking:

“Did you see the game against Germany at the World Cup? If you watch the fourth goal, when Mesut Ozil was up against Barry,  it was like the hare and the tortoise!”

When probed as to why Barry has achived so much success, Barton continued:

“Barry’s got a very good agent. He’s also discreet and always agrees with the manager. He’s like the kid who sits in the front row and listens to the teacher. I certainly don’t lose any sleep when I play against him.”

Well that is something you certainly couldn’t accuse Joey Barton of, expecially after his reported comments regarding former manager, Alan Shearer’s management ability and tactical acumen.

Moving on to the malaise which surrounds the England national team in general, Barton went on to blame our slavish adherence to tradition, saying:

“We English will play the next 50 World Cups and we’ll never win one. The people in charge at the FA played football maybe 50 or 60 years ago and still think that we can win a World Cup in the same way we did in 1966.

“We’re too focused on tradition in England, like always having to play 4-4-2. Sometimes you need to experiment, drop a bit deeper so you have more space to move into.

“France, Italy and Germany have done it. We’ve been doing the same thing for 20 years.”

Divven’t hold back, Joey!

Poll

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Comment on this post

20 Responses

  1. Well I think he’s shot himself in the foot there in terms of a return to the national side – certainly not making any friends! Not that thats ever bothered wor Joey like! Glad he’s leading the lads out on Sunday, deserves the armband if you ask me.

  2. Who cares about the national side?
    At the moment he’s the most inform English midfielder in the premiership, which makes him the best!
    hope we resign him!!

  3. Hey ! whatever you may think about the guy from a personal point of view, he`s certainly right in what he said.
    Joey is playing his ass off, who`s better ?
    And yes he should be playing for the national side.
    And again he was right about both Barry and Shee`rah, one was as slow as molasses the other tactically naive.
    But knowing the old boy network and the way things work as far as playing for or managing the England side, doubtfull if he will ever get another shot.
    As for this club, they better wake up and give the man a contract, before he walks.
    Joey can walk into any team right now the way he`s playing.

  5. On another topic, what happened to Intrnational football, seems to have lost it`s cache.
    From what i see to-day, the top leagues EPL, La Lega, Seria A and the German league generate much more interst.
    With the EPL the biggest earner from TV revenue, mainly due to the fact it`s played at a faster pace, that and the fact its a bit more physical.
    In fact making other leagues, which may be both technically and tactically better, appear somewhat boring.
    So what does that say for the future of the game ?
    Will we end up with a European super league, made up of the top sides (the perenial top two or three from various leagues) or will it remain segregated by national boundaries, apart from the year ending European tournaments ?
    Would it be more entertaining to be up against a PSG or a Real Madrid, not to mention a Shalke or Juventus, every week, as opposed to a Blackpool or Wigan.
    Possibly when the governing bodies like EUAFA and FIFA, become so intolerable, there could be a revolt by ownership, resulting in a revolutionary new set of grouping`s.
    Based somewhat on the old group of fourteen, top clubs tired of being told how to run their businesses by a bunch of ex players and functionaries.

  6. Don’t know how I’ve ended up on here but from a Man City supporter to you guys- Barton is in a different league to Barry. Barton was our best player. Barry coasts, Barton a guy you can build a team around. Good luck to him.

  7. Micah Donaghy says:
    April 7, 2011 at 8:53 pm

    “Don’t know how I’ve ended up on here but from a Man City supporter to you guys- Barton is in a different league to Barry. Barton was our best player. Barry coasts, Barton a guy you can build a team around. Good luck to him.”

    Icah, I have to write that it’s very fairminded of you to write that considering the usual reaction to Barton, and the fact that he left Man City in such acrimonious circumstances.

    On your point about Barry, I think that the truth is somewhere in the middle. He is a very good player, but I do know what you mean about “coasting” at times. Some players can give that impression though, even when they are great players, because they don’t shout and point alot and look a litle distracted when they are off the ball. Chris Waddle was a good example of that from a while back. He was a magnificent player by any standards, but he used to get accused of “coasting” because of his general demeanour when he was off the ball. I bow to your superior knowledge on Barry though if you’re watching him every week for Man City.

  8. chuck says:
    April 7, 2011 at 8:22 pm

    Paul
    Is that re-sign him or resign him ?

    Chuck, I can see it now:

    Barton sacked after blog typo fiasco.

    It’s been great to see him pull himself together on and off the pitch. Long may it continue.

  10. chuck,
    people say that the slower leagues are more technical.
    Granted, you get the odd team barca for eg. But on the whole playing as sluggish as they do around europe it’s a lot easier to be ‘more technical’.
    Technic at speed is more impressive & more exciting.

    Can’t see a euro-super-league really, as there are too many clubs that wouldn’t get a look in & fans aren’t about to change colours just cos their team is outta the loop.
    Euro football would just be supported by the fans of the teams involved.
    Foot/gun/shoot!

    Paul,

    damn right mate,
    who gives a flying **** about the national s(n)ide?
    Dull moneymaking sponsorship exercise…at best!
    ;)

    Micah,
    top comment mate, very magnanimous.
    ;)

  12. Guys…off topic here by a lot…but looking at nufc.com and THAT poster brought back memories of Villa the year we went down and how smug those bas#@rds were.
    I hope we stuff them properly this time at their ground.
    I hope the players are aware of what this would mean to us. Almost as much as beating Scumderland. Just this season. As payback for how happy they were at our relegation.

  13. Villa…

    Not Forgiven…Not Forgotten.

    Howay the lads.

    P.s. Yes i’m a vengeful bast#@d

  14. sounds like joey’s piss is boiling for some reason – i’ll check the odds for him being red carded on sunday – could be worth having a bob dylan on it.

  15. he’ll never get a game for southern united,slagging people off.although i do agree with most of what he says,but if you want to play for the w***ers brigade,you have to a**e crawl like there’s no tomorrow.
    along with his dubious past,the old farts at lancaster gate wont stand for it,which just goes to prove we do not live in a democracy,and people cannot make mistakes and move on.nothing is ever forgotten in “great alcatraz”.
    i liked the last part of his interview,in regards to the andy carroll controversy”we had a good player in andy caroll,but sold him.i was worried it was going to happen every year,but the club promised me it wasn’t.I DONT KNOW IF I BELIEVE THEM.i will wait and see if the likes of nolan,tiote,enrique stay,if they do i will too”.
    if joey barton says,he doesn’t know whether he believes them,then what does that say about the jokers running the club?.

  16. hahaha youve gota love this guy (if your a toon supporter) he is full of confidence!! yes he is a brilliant midfielder but im not sure on the best one in england lol , hes crackers!!!

  17. Just accidentally found this blog. I’m a Chelsea fan but his point about Lampards spot on!!! He’s undermining our season with his guaranteed spot in our line up, JB needs to be in the three lions soon, Lampard needs to go and join Beckham in the USA for a final payday!!!!!!!

  18. find it funny how that poll has all those yes’s. He’s a good player but look to Scott Parker and Jack Wilshere for better – and Gerrard when he is fit.

  19. Barton’s good, but come on fellas…best in the prem??? Hehehehe. He wouldn’t be playing for Newcastle if he was even close to that title

  20. Are you guys kidding me? Barton is far from the best midfielder in England. Lampard still bangs in 20 odd a season, Gerrard is tactically fantastic when he’s fit, Cesc Fabergas, as much as I don’t like him, is brilliant as well. And certainly no competition for Michael Essien, Ashley Young or van der Vaart. I wouldn’t even put Joey Barton in the top ten in the premier league. Also, it may be debatable, but I can’t see him winning a tactical battle with Charlie Adam or Scott Parker either. When you think about it, Joey Barton is WAY in over his head here, far from the top ten in my opinion, top 20 if he’s in form.